At
UN
on Cote d'Ivoire, Russia Demands Susan Rice Statement Be
“Corrected"
By
Matthew
Russell Lee, Exclusive
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 7, updated -- Russia demanded that US Ambassador Susan
Rice's statement Tuesday on Cote d'Ivoire, ostensibly as UN Security
Council president, be “corrected in the record,” sources tell
Inner City Press.
Russia
has asked
UN Secretariat to add its objection to the record
on Tuesday's opening meeting. There is not much precedent for this; the
"Verbatim" section must be consulted.
In closed
door negotiations since
Friday about the Ivorian crisis, Russia has argued that the Security
Council should not set the precedent of being a certifier of
elections results.
Meanwhile
outside
of the Security Council, Laurent Gbagbo-alligned Ivorian diplomats
told Inner City Press that while UN envoy Y.J. Choi should now come
back to the country for his “protection of civilians” - but not
electoral -- mandate, they argued that “power sharing doesn't
work.”
“Look at
Zimbabwe,” one of them told Inner City Press. But in this scenario,
is Gbagbo playing Robert Mugabe?
Susan Rice at UN, Russian demand for correction not shown
At
a separate
press confernce at the UN Tuesday morning about the International
Criminal Court, it was recalled that Cote d'Ivoire was mentioned as a
target of ICC investigation and prosecution back in 2004. Now there
are mentions again. Watch this site.
Update
of
12:50 pm -- At the UN noon briefing, Inner City Press asked UN
spokesman Martin Nesirky what the procedure would be to act on
Russia's request that “the Secretariat” somehow “correct”
Susan Rice's statement. Nesirky declined to answer, saying he wasn't
in the consultation -- his office has been barred from consultation
since the Council moved to it current basement venue earlier this
year -- and instead urged Inner City Press to ask the US, as Council
President for December.
Inner
City Press
has since been told that it is the US' position that there is no
procedure or precedent to “correct” statements such as that of
Ambassador Rice, which was that the presence of Cote d'Ivoire
diplomats in the Council's open session in no way implied that they
were recognized as legitimate representatives of that country at this
time.
Thought:
It was an
indirect and procedural way of asserting the position that Laurent
Gbagbo is no longer the legitimate head of state of Cote d'Ivoire.
One can understand why Russia would object, while understanding why
Rice would make such a point “for the record.” Will the record in
fact be corrected, as Russia requested?
The Council
-- at what level is not clear -- will reconvene at 3 pm, to consider a
statement confirmed to that of ECOWAS. Watch this site.
* * *
On
Cote
d'Ivoire, Gbagbo Prefers UN Abou Moussa to Choi, UNSC Unlit
Saturday
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 3 -- On Cote d'Ivoire,
the lack of planning by the
UN, France and US became evident on Friday as in New York the US,
even as President, was unable to get a Security Council statement or
meeting, as UN envoy Choi was threatened with expulsion from Ivory
Coast by Laurent Gbagbo.
Later
Friday
Inner City Press was told by Ivorian diplomats that Gbagbo will
inaugurate himself as president on Saturday. Meanwhile, UN sources
say that all electrical source will be turned off in the Security
Council over the weekend, with provisions to move any emergency
meeting to Conference Room 3 in the UN's North Lawn building, where
the Council has never met.
An
African
Permanent Representative explained to Inner City Press that all
along, Gbagbo has wanted to replace Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's
envoy Choi with his deputy, Abou Moussa from Chad. Now may be the
time.
Another
African Perm Rep told Inner City Press that the African Union had found
many more flaws in the voting in the North of Cote d'Ivoire than found
by the UN or other observers, and said this would become known "in
coming days."
The
Ivorian
diplomats Inner City Press spoke with, as well as several African
Permanent Representatives, questioned Choi's and Ban Ki-moon's and
“even” Obama's “rush” to coronate Ouattara. “The UN didn't
do that when the (Republican - leaning) US Supreme Court decided for
Bush over Gore,” one of them pointed out.
“We will fly
the
flag of sovereignty!” exclaimed an African Permanent
Representative, linking the UN's “lack of planning” in Cote
d'Ivoire with its being ejected from Chad and, mostly, from the
Democratic Republic of the Congo. “We will throw the UN out!”
UN's Abou Moussa, Ban & Stoudmann- was Choi a
good replacement?
Well
meaning UN
senior staff consulted by Inner City Press lamented the way it was
playing out, and blamed some of it on Choi, saying that an SRSG more
experienced in UN peacekeeping would have been better. “This will
blow back on Ban Ki-moon,” one of them said.
Inner
City Press
ran from these interviews to the press area to write, skipping the
Cuban Mission party. But in the UN press area a sign announced “This
area will be closed from Saturday, 4 December 8:00 am UNTIL Sunday 5
December 6:00 am.” So if they want press coverage, the Security
Council meeting or stake out if they want one will be on Sunday.
Watch this site.
* * *
As
Gbagbo
Moves to Eject UN Choi from Ivory Coast, No UNSC Action
Under US, Only Obama Statement
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 3, upstead -- In Ivory Coast,
Laurent Gbagbo's adviser and
Ambassador to the UN Alcide Djedje has threatened to throw out of the
country UN envoy Y.J. Choi after Choi rejected the decision of the
Gbagbo dominated Constitutional Council that Gbagbo won the run off
election, 51% to 49% over Alassane Ouattara.
This
took place
hours after the UN Security Council, led this month by the US, had
begun to call a meeting, then stood down. Inner City Press observed
and reported the preparations for the meeting.
Inner
City Press can now report
that a video link was established, and a UN Mission in Cote d'Ivoire
official appeared on screen, ready to speak to the Council.
But
the US never
convened the Council to meeting. Another Permanent Five ambassador
told Inner City Press on Friday afternoon that the US had said, only
a press statement, no meeting.
Some
fairly or unfairly even wondered
if the US decision not to call a meeting despite the “crisis” in
Ivory Coast was related to Permanent Representative Susan Rice not
being in New York.
At
11:50 am, Inner
City Press asked the US Mission to the UN to confirm or deny by
e-mail that there would be a Council meeting. Not having any response
for an hour, Inner City Press asked again, including a question on
Sudan, and was told that it would be called.
During
that time, apparently more friendly press was told that there would be
no
meeting, but rather a press statement read by Brooke Anderson.
Now
as 6 pm has
passed, no meeting, and no UN Security Council press statement read by
Brooke Anderson. (Also, no answer on 12
SPLM soldiers killed in Sudan.)
The US
Mission had not informed UN staff still in waiting that they could go
home (perhaps to return this weekend).
An
African diplomat told Inner City Press at the stakeout that some
countries, like his, wanted to check that all had been done correctly,
including in Choi's statement.
UN Choi & Gbagbo in 2007, threat to eject not shown
At
5:15 pm e-mailed out a copy of a statement by US
President Obama, hailing Ouattara's win and calling on Gbagbo to
respect the result.
So
has Barak Obama
become the Security Council? What explains the Council's failure to
meet, and failure to even issue a press statement?
Some of those
surrounding the Council have been told to be "on alert" for a Council
meeting, or at least read out of a UNSC statement by some US
Ambassador, over the weekend...
, 
